Software applications resident on desktop computers in networked systems frequently require updates or restoration for a variety of reasons. The applications may become damaged or corrupted, and components such as drivers may be occasionally lost. Moreover, upgrades of hardware components of the computer may necessitate compatible software upgrades.
The problem of maintaining software applications for user clients in large network systems is problematic for system administrators since they do not always know which software applications and versions thereof are installed in each of the desktop computers in the network. Similarly, administrators do not always know which of the computers may have received hardware changes requiring related software upgrades. Likewise, when a client replaces a desktop computer, the administrator is faced with the problem of determining which version of a software application should be installed on the new computer. This process of determining which software applications and versions should be restored on computers is time consuming and requires manual effort by system administrators.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method for restoring software applications on desktop computers which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. The present invention is directed toward satisfying this need.